Prince Edward beats dogs with a stick.

[Rasta Watermelon]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1102099/Prince-Dog-Beater-Outrage-Edward-repeatedly-lashes-gundogs-4ft-stick.html

Prince Edward has been accused of animal cruelty after losing his temper and lashing out violently and repeatedly at his gundogs with a wooden stick.
The 44-year-old Prince reacted angrily when he saw two black labradors trying to grab hold of the same dead pheasant during a shoot at the Sandringham Royal Estate in Norfolk yesterday.

He approached the dogs with his shotgun tucked under his arm and a 4ft stick raised menacingly in the air. He then brought it down sharply several times towards them.

Now i'm going to defend Edward here because my Mum breeds and shows English Cocker spaniels and have several dogs, and we do what Edward is seen to be doing when the dogs get into a fight or disagreement over food or something. I doubt Edward hit the dogs hard he just wanted the dogs to stop what they were doing.

And I've done what he is seen doing to the dogs myself in order to break up a fight or stop them from grabbing something I dont want the to have.

[GwenCat]

Inexcusable. If and I will say IF he did strike them, he is a repugnant vile pr---k. No excuse, none whatsoever. I will not get into a debate regarding hunting, or training of dogs. I know about dog training, and sport dog training! If this story is true, (and the pictures do not show him beating a dog): he does have a stick and there are dogs.... IF he struck that dog, I sincerely hope someone has him charged.

[drezzle]

Prince Edward seems quite even keeled.  I doubt he did anything improper.  Maybe a squirt gun would be more acceptable?  ;)

[Rasta Watermelon]

From what I can see from those pics and knowing what I know about dogs especially Gundogs. One of those dogs had the bird which it is breed to do, the other dog is going towards the dog with the bird, to try and take that bird away from the other dog. Looking at those pics the dog with the bird is staring at the other dog coming towards it and displaying body language that a dog displays when it is about to defend itself against another dog.

If Edward did not use that stick to stop the other dog from approaching the dog with the bird, then the chances are those two dogs would of got into a fight over that bird. Two dogs fighting is and I know from personal experience is a very hard thing to break up, and I imagine more so if you are stuck in a field with nothing to really seperate those two dogs if a fight should occur.

Gwencat, do you own a large number of dogs and do you own Gundogs?

Edit to note: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/theroyalfamily/3983003/Earl-of-Wessex-in-gun-dog-cruelty-row.html

Buckingham Palace confirmed last night that Prince Edward had stepped in when two gun dogs were fighting over a pheasant. "Prince Edward tried to separate the dogs," a spokeswoman said. "I don't know if he physically struck them. But both dogs are fine – no harm was done to them."

I believe this to be true and by looking at those pics and seeing my dogs fight I believe Edward has done nothing wrong and is guilty of the samethings my family do to seperate a fight between dogs.

[GwenCat]

Why I certainly do, and I would not have another other type of dog(well maybe one or two others :) )
Sport dogs should not be out in the field live until properly trained. I would expect with all their money and farms, and a well known history of sport hunting they would have dog trainers for the fox or bird hunts. Also there would be dog handlers at the hunt with them (if all kept above board).
I will accept that these pics do NOT show Edward beating any dog. And certainly beating the ground near the dog is acceptable if a fight is going to ensue. I would suspect these dogs, one in particular was out in the hunt too early from the training fields, although dogs do have personalities and behaviours that are hard to break. BEATING any animal is not the way to stop behaviours, and if any dog has a nasty streak,  that dog should never be put into any hunt let alone kennel with other dogs.
If they were bird hunting, another problem is the softness of the mouth. If another dog is threatening a dog with a bird, that dog holding the bird may destroy the bird by using too much mouth pressure. Something you don't want.
As I say, if PE was beating, then he needs to be charged, and I don't care who he is.
Dogs are wonderful. Gun dogs are my favorite, esp when they are gun shy!!!!!

[Rasta Watermelon]

point taken Gwencat.

[Alexandra123]

I have many dogs and I do find the behaviour inexcusable.
If you can't handle the dogs, it doesn't mean you can hit them, or pretend to hit. The dog would have never ran away when Edward 'pretended' he was going to hit, if he hadn't actually hit it before.
I do like Edward but I wish I hadn't seen the pictures. Labradors are not exactly the most vicious dogs out there and are very easy to train.

[Lillianna]

I think they are blowing the photographs out of proportion. The stick did not seem to have come into contact with the dogs. In any event, for those among the public who persist in wondering whether the royals are "just like us", i.e., like the common man, do they need any further proof? :laugh:

Who among us has not been annoyed by our pets to such an extent? I must say though, that from what I can see, he does not look angry, or like a man who has lost his temper. In fact, he looks fairly relaxed in the photos, the stick notwithstanding.

[GwenCat]

I'm pleased someone is "looking into " this allegation. It sounds like there are witnesses, and that the RF has a mean streak in them. Although maybe the death blows to some were done on compassionate terms.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/3998907/Prince-Edward-faces-possible-RSPCA-probe-for-beating-dogs.html

[drezzle]

Interesting that the Telegraph article didn't mention the queen herself was videotaped bashing in some birds within the past year.  Perhaps the Windsors don't have the empathy gene? 

[Alexandra123]

I think they are blowing the photographs out of proportion. The stick did not seem to have come into contact with the dogs. In any event, for those among the public who persist in wondering whether the royals are "just like us", i.e., like the common man, do they need any further proof? :laugh:

Who among us has not been annoyed by our pets to such an extent? I must say though, that from what I can see, he does not look angry, or like a man who has lost his temper. In fact, he looks fairly relaxed in the photos, the stick notwithstanding.

As a dog owner myself, I did have to break up dog fights. And I did use a stick to push them apart but brandishing a stick and slamming the stick down are two different things. In many pictures published in different newspapers today, it is quite obvious Edward's stick did make contact with at least one of the dogs. Also, please note how the dogs are cowering away from Edward, so I would assume that Edward has use the stick on dogs before, so it knew what was coming. If I raise a stick, my dog wouldn't run away from me, it would think I am playing and am about to throw it for them.

Our pets, just as our children, may have annoyed us often. But physical punishment is not an option in either case.

[fawbert]

I think they are blowing the photographs out of proportion. The stick did not seem to have come into contact with the dogs.

My feelings too.  He's simply shaking a stick at the canine.

[Rasta Watermelon]

I own Gundogs and not so long ago a baby raven got stuck in our backyard after trying to fly, and our dogs tried to catch it because it is instinct of the dogs. We swiped a stick at our dogs just like Edward has, to make them keep away from the bird, while someone picked up the bird and took it around the front to wait for its parents to come around and pick up it's baby. None of our dogs are traumatised by it.

The other day my Mum had to tell off one of the younger dogs because every now and again at feeding time she goes for one of the older dogs and barks in her face, and it sparks a fight between the group of dogs. We use a small stick to quickly break it up before it snowballs into a real fight between dogs. After it was broken up my Mum wacked the culprit with the small stick to let her know it is not acceptable. Since then the dog has not done it nor is she traumatised by it.

Looking at those pics the dog he was telling off was not traumatised because as soon as the dead bird was picked up both labs were wagging their tail following their owner around.

Like Lillianna said I think this has been blown up and unfairly on Edward, and i'm not going to judge him because that would make me a hypocrite. I see there is nothing wrong with what he did there, the only thing I dont agree on, is him killing birds.

Have you seen what dogs are like when they havent been told off for anything and get away with thinking they are the boss? Those dogs can become a real problem for an owner if they let it be one.

[brittanylala]

Edward wasn't at the church service today...very wise decision after this overblown fiasco.

[Kate]

I only have a wee pet poodle so can't qualify as some of you with hunting dogs etc.. however, I really checked out the photos and Edward did not hit the dogs. The look of the stick he is waving about looks like a "reed" stick and when you wave it quickly, makes a sharp "swooshing" sound. We carry one when out walking .. just the sound can be threatening to a dog, hence the cowered look of the one. Doesn't mean that the dog has been hit etc, just doesn't like the sound of the stick..which obviously made the dogs release the bird....

[Monika]

Edward wasn't at the church service today...very wise decision after this overblown fiasco.

Hmmm....  I thought he was. No??   Sophie was there.   

[Goldie1]

He was there. Read AP

[Lila the Flirt]

There are no pictures that show P Edward actually hitting the dogs? Perhaps he was just threatening to. It does become rather dangerous when two dogs go at it. As long as he didn't actually hit the dogs, then no harm was done.

[Alexandra123]

There were actually quite a few pictures in the media where the stick quite clearly made contact with the dog.
This pictures shows it as well, although there were even worse ones.

http://img.thesun.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00692/RSNN2907C_682_692841a.jpg

[Rasta Watermelon]

But we have no idea how hard he made contact with the dog, it may of been a tap to get the dog to go away. Those pics do show those Dogs having an arguement over that bird.

Caroline Kisko, secretary of the Kennel Club, suggested he might have hit the ground with the stick to scare the dogs and separate them.

She said: 'If the two dogs were fighting, I wouldn't be surprised if someone whacked the ground nearby to make an impression.

'If you want to make sure dogs don't injure each other, you need to break things up as soon as you can before one of them gets injured.

'If you just run waving your arms, you are not going to have much effect.

'Dogs would be able to hear the vibration from a stick being hit on the ground and would react.'

I know for a fact waving your hands or yelling at two dogs in a dispute does not work, and infact I have wacked two of my dogs not so hard with a small broom to stop them from having a growling match at one another.

As far as i'm concerned he has done nothing wrong it's just a case of bash him because he is a Royal. Anyone else in their backyard and no-one would really care.

[Countessa]

If this were an isolated incident, that would be one thing. But this is an ongoing outrage by several members of the BRF--their seemingly neverending cruel treatment of animals just for the hell of it.

[GwenCat]

I am trying really hard to stay out of this thread.
I disagree with the use of any form of abuse to these dogs.
Beating a stick on the ground is acceptable. Taking a stick to a dog is not. It's a very simple concept. People who need to use some form of control over a dog, need to have some education. And it starts prior to the ownership of the dog. All dogs need to attend "doggy school". Courses dependent on what expectations the owner has for the dog. (couch potato to birder)
Even the Masters of Dog Training will disagree with beating of a dog when he needs to be taken down. Dogs allowed in pack environments get into fights esp over game. They are animals, they can be trained but never ever with physical violence of beating. Shame on anyone who is ignorant to the facts.

[drezzle]

What Prince Edward did is still a drop in the bucket compared to the support by Prince Charles et.al. of fox hunting.  If Prince Edward also likes to ride to the hounds, then I'll be happy to condemn him without a doubt.

[GwenCat]

very true... but I'll wait til someone conducts a (kangaroo court) investigation.

[drezzle]

There's nothing to investigate.   Charles supports fox-hunting.  Edward maybe.................and according to my thickboy:  "Surely fox hunting would be much more acceptable if the hunters ditched their horses and hounds and tried chasing the cuddly bushy-tailed foxes across the fields by running after them... I think that is how they used to do it in the old days... and I think that's how cross country running was invented... plus it would be good exercise for the port and brandy drinking gout-ridden...........buffoons."

Speaking of cuddly and innocent animals:  I hate to admit it but something was quite comical about these pictures.

Chilling game of hide and seek with a hungry polar bear

http://tinyurl.com/7ds3fu